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Around 1900, the German speaking world underwent social and cultural changes, with modern industry and technology driving the formation of metropolises and accelerating the pace of life. The hustle and bustle of urban life and rapid changes have challenged traditional ways of cognition and expression, leading to various cultural crises. Austrian writer Hugo von Hofmannsthal observed a language crisis and attempted to find new ways of expression. His encounter with modern dancer Ruth St. Denis became an inevitable cultural development. Dance has intuitiveness, liveliness, and fast speed, and modern freestyle dance pursues the liberation and freedom of humanity. The body is seen as a repressed soul and a symptom of the unconscious, serving as a material medium for humans to pursue their deep desires for freedom and experience nature. Female dancers have made outstanding contributions in the paradigm shift of dance, and Hofmannsthal and female dancers have jointly explored the artistic potential and creativity of the body. His friendship and collaboration with Saint Denis gave birth to a series of artistic creation plans. Hofmannsthal's dance aesthetics are reflected in Saint Denis, with his commentary "The Incomparable Dancer" and fictional talk show "Fear" both revolving around dance aesthetics, particularly focusing on the creative and expressive potential of the dancer's body.

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Hofmannsthal highly praised Saint Denis' performance of "Rada" in "The Unparalleled Dancer", believing that her dance showcased the image of a Hindu goddess, while also reflecting the mystery of exotic cultures and the enormous expressive potential of female dancers' bodies. The article describes the style of dance by using adjectives with negative prefixes, emphasizing the momentary nature of dance, its independence from time, and its direct power to the soul. Hofmannsthal regards dance as an art form that rejects the infiltration of knowledge, showcasing the strong interest of Europeans in foreign cultures, as well as the beauty and sensuality of otherness in dance.

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Hofmannsthal delved deeply into the art of dance in "The Unrivaled Dancer," advocating for the abolition of the binary opposition between body and mind, and the pursuit of the unity of senses and divinity. The inspiration for the article comes from the performance of Saint Denis, emphasizing the close connection between dance and ceremony. Hofmannsthal admires St. Denis' exotic ceremonial dance as an attempt at ethnological aesthetics, aimed at exploring the creative body and anthropological foundations of dance. He drew inspiration from Abby Wahlberg's formula of passion and collaborated with Viennese dancer Grete Wiesenthal to develop the concept of 'pure posture'. Hofmannsthal believed that Saint Denis' dance posture was natural and devout, reflecting the essence of dance art. Saint Denis sees herself as an instrument of spiritual revelation, overcoming the barrier between spirit and body through dance, achieving a perfect fusion of divinity and sensibility.